Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York dies at 88: She 'was a giant'

Democratic rep. Louise Slaughter, who represented Western New York in Congress, has died at the age of 88. Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier video misstated Slaughter’s congressional district history.
(Rochester) Democrat and Chronicle

Rep. Louise Slaughter, a Democrat who represented the Rochester area in Congress since 1987, died Friday morning in a Washington, D.C. hospital. She was 88.

Her office released a statement confirming her passing. Slaughter fell at her D.C. residence last week and was taken to George Washington University Hospital to receive treatment and monitoring for a concussion.

Slaughter was recognized as a fierce legislator who blazed trails for other women to enter politics.

"[She] was a living icon for women from all walks of life who wanted to get off the sidelines and make positive change in their community," said Jamie Romeo, chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party. "I know many, including myself, would not be where they are today without the support and guidance from Louise."

Slaughter’s longtime friend, former Democratic elections commissioner Betsy Relin, said that Slaughter preferred to die just as she did.

“This is what she wanted,” Relin said. “She wanted to go in office and she wanted to go as her husband did — very quickly. She went the way she wanted it.”

Relin remembers when the sofa that John Quincy Adams died upon was placed in the ladies’ restroom in the Capitol Building.

“They had just put the couch in there that John Quincy Adams died on and she said, ‘See that couch? That’s the way I want to go.’ “

Slaughter retained her Southern accent long after her move from her native Kentucky. Known to charm constituents and colleagues alike with a folksy manner, Slaughter also was willing to step into the political trenches.

Those who knew her best recognized that her down-to-earth demeanor belied a tougher edge that could emerge in both political and legislative tussles. One Washington politico referred to her as “a Southern belle with a cigar in her mouth,” according to a 1992 Democrat and Chronicle story.

“To have met Louise Slaughter is to have known a force of nature," said her chief of staff, Liam Fitzsimmons. "She was a relentless advocate for Western New York whose visionary leadership brought infrastructure upgrades, technology and research investments, and two federal manufacturing institutes to Rochester that will transform the local economy for generations to come."

Slaughter's district includes all of Monroe County except the town of Hamlin, a tiny portion of Clarkson and the southern portions of Wheatland, Rush and Mendon.

She chaired the powerful House Rules Committee, which determines how bills reach the floor for a vote, from 2007 to 2009. She was the only woman to hold that position and remained the committee's ranking minority member at the time of her death. She was the oldest member of the House of Representatives, and only nine current members had served longer.

"Congresswoman Louise Slaughter was a giant," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). "She had deep convictions — on both issues important to the people of Rochester, and for the integrity and honesty of the political system. The ferocity of her advocacy was matched only by the depth of her compassion and humanity. Her passing will leave a gaping hole in our hearts and our nation."

A special election will be held to elect someone to serve out the rest of Slaughter's term, which expires in January. Gov. Andrew Cuomo will set the date for that special election.

Slaughter's legacy

Dorothy Louise McIntosh Slaughter was born Aug. 14, 1929, in Harlan County, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree in microbiology and a master's degree in public health.

Slaughter lived most her life in Fairport, where she entered politics in the early 1970s after she and her late husband Bob Slaughter, a legal administrator at Eastman Kodak Co., launched an aggressive but unsuccessful effort to keep bulldozers out of the beech and maple forest of Hart's Woods in Perinton.

Spurred to get more involved, Slaughter ran three times for Monroe County Legislature before being elected in 1976. She served there until 1978.

Slaughter served in the state Assembly from 1982 to 1986 and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, defeating Republican incumbent Fred Eckert in a close race and becoming the first woman to represent Western New York in Congress.

Louise and Robert Slaughter were married for 57 years, until his passing in 2014. Together they had three daughters, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

She successfully ran for re-election 15 times and was preparing to run again this November.

In an interview last month, Slaughter said she didn't run against opponents, but rather ran on her record. She pointed to her successes, saying she wasn't sure someone new in the job could be as effective a representative as she has been. She cited local economic development initiatives including the Inner Loop project, Rochester's new train station, waterfront revitalization in Charlotte, and grants for High Tech Rochester. She also pointed to her work addressing the overuse of antibiotics, in barring genetic discrimination in health care and ensuring that homeless children receive proper, adequate education.

"Because of all that and because I think every time I go into Wegmans, from the front door to the meat department, people come up, grab my hand and say 'I hope you are going to stay, I hope you are going to stay,'" she said. "I hope it's OK with you that we will."

The list of Slaughter's legislative accomplishments is lengthy.

Slaughter authored the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), leading the bill for 14 years before it finally passed Congress and was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008.

Slaughter was instrumental in the passage of the STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge), which blocked Congress, Congressional staff, and other government employees from using non-public information to benefit themselves through stock trading. She worked for years to champion the bill, and was finally joined by colleagues after a 60 Minutes expose revealed how Congressional representatives were benefiting from information that the public did not have.

Slaughter also co-authored the landmark Violence Against Women Act, which has helped reduce cases of domestic violence by 67 percent since 1994.

As one of the longest-serving women in the House of Representatives, Slaughter was a prominent voice for women and diversity. She was the co-chair and founding member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, which works to promote reproductive health and protect a woman's right to choose.